1992: Comic book characters were popular costumes before they were big movies.

In 1992, Spider-Man was neither a big-screen hero or the star of the popular animated TV show (that would be a couple of years later), but kids still dressed up as him and other superheroes because of the popular comics.

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1993: Costumes that stereotypically depict a culture won't go away.

Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper handing out candy from their home.
AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

Definitely don't do this, but here's a dude dressed up in a stereotypical Mexican outfit with his kids while trick-or-treating at Al Gore's house.

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1994: The O.J. Simpson trial gripped the nation.

Victor Pahl made a costume with a mask, bloody football jersey, and fake knife.
Sam Mircovich/Reuters

Reporters outside of the Los Angeles courthouse wore Robert Shapiro masks as they waited for him to leave the building. People made custom-made, gruesome costumes of Simpson himself, like the one above, which cost $50.

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1995: Disney couple's costumes are a firm staple of every Halloween.

Vice President Al Gore and Tipper Gore.
AP Photo/The White House

The late 1980s and early 1990s marked the Disney Renaissance, with movies like "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast," introducing their iconic outfits to the world. Here's Al and Tipper Gore dressed as the characters from the latter movie.

2000: The Lewinsky Scandal was the butt of every joke.

With Bill Clinton's presidency winding down, his affair with Monica Lewinsky was still on everyone's mind. It was reflected in the Halloween masks.

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2001: Some people chose to reference 9/11 with patriotic costumes.

A costume shop employee in Atlanta showing off the popular Statue of Liberty one.
Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images

The mood was less revelrous.

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2002: It's common for businesses to get in on it.

Bolivia also celebrates All Saint's Day on the day after Halloween.
AP Photo/Pablo Aneli

One supermarket in Bolivia had all of its employees dress up as grim reapers and witches, even while they helped customers.

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2003: Harry Potter is everywhere.

"Fluffy" from the "Harry Potter" books is much bigger.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

With the release of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Chamber of Secrets" in theaters, the boy wizard has thoroughly saturated pop culture. The three-headed dog "Fluffy" from the books even makes it perfect for dog parades.

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2004: Presidential masks are back.

President Bush and John Kerry masks.
AP Photo/Morry Gash

Buycostumes.com cited Halloween mask sales as a predictor for the election. Their sales, the company said, predicted the elections of President George W. Bush, Bill Clinton twice, George H.W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan twice.

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2005: Theme Parks pay more and more attention to Halloween.

"Terra Queen."
AP Photo/Peter Cosgrove

Hong Kong's Ocean Park planned elaborate costumes for their employees to scare visitors. For Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights, the company created an elaborate mythology of characters like "Terra Queen."

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2006: Even before the movie came out, everyone knew who Borat was.

People dressed up as the main character from "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan."
AP Photo/Seth Wenig

"Borat" was released a few days after Halloween, but the character was already well-known through the movie's marketing. And making a costume is pretty easy.

2016: Return of "Star Wars."

With 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the galaxy-trodding franchise was back for another generation, introducing new characters along with it. "Rogue One" in 2016 kept it up. The movies led to a resurgence of "Star Wars"-themed costumes.